Penguins News

Penguins Acquire Forward Joseph Blandisi from the Anaheim Ducks

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Joseph Blandisi from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Derek Grant, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.

Blandisi is signed through the end of the regular season, and he carries an average annual value of $680,000 at the NHL level. He will be a restricted free agent this summer. He will be joining the Penguins in Arizona on Thursday.

Blandisi, 24, has played the majority of this season with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League. He had 23 points (8G-15A) and a plus-9 in 27 games with San Diego. In his final eight games with the Gulls, Blandisi recorded nine points (3G-6A). Blandisi was scoreless with six penalty minutes in three NHL games with the Ducks earlier this season.

A 5-foot-11, 187-pound native of Markham, Ontario, Blandisi has skated in 74 career NHL games with the Ducks and New Jersey Devils, recording eight goals and 26 points. The majority of his NHL production came with the Devils, where he originally broke into the NHL in 2015-16, scoring 17 points (5G-12A) in 41 games that year.

Blandisi was selected to play in the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic while skating for the Albany Devils. He has 100 points (33G-67A) in 133 career AHL contests with San Diego, Binghamton and Albany.

Blandisi split his junior career between Owen Sound, Ottawa and Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League. In his final year of junior with Barrie in 2014-15, he led all OHL players with 52 goals, won the Leo Lalonde Trophy as the Overage Player of the Year and was named an OHL Third-Team All-Star.

Anaheim had acquired Blandisi last season from New Jersey alongside Adam Henrique in exchange for Sami Vatanen. Blandisi was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft held at PPG Paints Arena.